Abstract
Crime reporting in Malawi faces significant challenges, including fear of retaliation, lack of anonymity, limited access to police stations, and slow response times. The Tikhale Tcheru Smart Crime Reporting Mobile App is designed to address these challenges by providing an accessible, secure, and efficient digital platform for citizens to report crimes in real time. Developed using Android Studio (Java) for the frontend and Node.js with Firebase for backend services, the application leverages smartphone capabilities—such as geolocation tracking, multimedia evidence submission, and push notifications—to streamline the reporting process and improve data quality for law enforcement.
The app’s intuitive user interface allows individuals to submit incident details, attach photos or videos as evidence, and choose anonymous reporting options to protect their identity. Submitted reports are routed to a dynamic admin dashboard, where police officers can filter, categorize, and prioritize cases based on severity and location. Real-time updates and interactive crime maps empower communities with transparent information about local safety conditions and foster proactive engagement between citizens and authorities.
Employing an Agile methodology, the development process included iterative feedback cycles with target users, unit and system testing for modular reliability, and acceptance testing within diverse community settings. Evaluation results demonstrated a 45% reduction in average report submission time and a 60% increase in user engagement compared to traditional phone- or in-person reporting channels. Law enforcement personnel reported improved operational efficiency, with faster allocation of resources and enhanced situational awareness through aggregated data analytics.
Future enhancements will integrate artificial intelligence for predictive crime pattern analysis, offline functionality for connectivity-limited regions, biometric authentication for added security, and integration with Internet of Things (IoT) devices for automated alerts. Overall, Tikhale Tcheru represents a scalable, technology-driven solution to transform public safety infrastructure in Malawi and offers a model for other developing regions seeking to modernize community policing efforts.